by Freedonia Industry Studies
May 8, 2020
Hollingsworth & Vose has partnered with Midwest Textiles to offer ready-to-sew face masks for consumer use. This kit includes a layer of Hollingsworth & Vose’s Nanoweb FM filtration media made of spunbonded nonwovens not used by medical personnel, so it has no negative impact on the industry’s ability to provide personal protective equipment for first responders. This filter media can be inserted into the pocket of a reusable mask or stitched into a disposable one.
This is one way for the market to provide supplies to consumers, who are often struggling to obtain what they need for their own protection and to comply with orders or recommendations to wear face coverings when away from home. Filter companies can use this as an opportunity to repurpose breathable filter media that might otherwise be used in other applications that are not in high demand in the current economic climate. Consumer protection needs are not as high as those of medical personnel because consumers are generally able to use social distancing measures to mitigate their risk.
For more information, see The Freedonia Group’s coverage of the Global Face Masks and Global Filters industry as well as Global Disposable Medical Supplies and US Disposable Medical Supplies.